A construction skills shortage in Scotland needs to be addressed, argues a new report (Image: Getty)

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Scotland must recruit nearly 36,000 construction workers every year until 2021 if it is to create the homes and infrastructure the country needs, according to a new report from Arcadis.

The company, which describes itself as the leading global design & consultancy firm for natural and built assets, says that if the skills gulf remains unchecked the earnings of some tradespeople would increase significantly inside a generation.

The Arcadis Talent Scale has been developed to measure the true extent of the skills crisis across the UK’s entire infrastructure and house building workforce.

The study reveals that, of the 400,000 workers that need to be recruited nationally across the UK, almost one in ten (35,932) need to be located in Scotland if the country is to meet its housing and infrastructure requirements.

The need for carpenters and joiners is particularly acute, with demand accounting for more than one sixth of all resource requirements in Scotland.

Bricklayers, electricians and plumbers are also in high demand, particularly in the labour-intensive housebuilding sector.

The report identifies a need for more than 900 civil engineers and nearly 700 programme managers to deliver planned infrastructure.

Arcadis says the figures in the report are independent of the impact of any eventual Brexit deal, which is likely to further increase the strain.

In the event of a ‘hard’ Brexit the number of EU construction workers entering the UK could fall significantly. Aroound 215,000 fewer people from the EU would enter the infrastructure and house building sectors between now and 2020, further exacerbating the existing labour shortage.

Graham Hill, cities director for Scotland at Arcadis, said: “Unfortunately, overcoming a skills shortfall as vast as the one we now face cannot be achieved through education and technology alone.

''Of course, we need to bring more new talent into the industry but, in the short term, construction will also need to look at those currently working in other industries and dramatically improve its efficiency, including looking at new design solutions and methods of construction.

“On top of this, as part of any Brexit deal, the government can help by looking to secure the rights of EU workers currently operating in British design and construction, simplifying the visa system and minimising the tax burden on workers and business.

''If this fails to happen, many of the projects earmarked for economic stimulus could prove more difficult and costly to resource. In the worst case scenario these projects could fail to be delivered at all, reducing our ability to grow the Scottish economy and limiting investment in the industry.”